Couples

Working on suburban newspapers in the late 1970s, we found not only great inspiration in the work of John Updike but great encouragement as well, as he showed that the suburbs were not someone else's dull retreat but a complicated jungle of mysteries, betrayal and intrigue. Updike was the first great writer we'd followed who'd left New York City for the suburbs and did his best work there. Shortly after we moved to the city, we saw him speak and read at some YMCA on the Upper West Side. Back then, we were too awestruck to speak to him as he signed books and met fans. We remember Kurt Vonnegut was there.

Favorites: Couples, The Maples stories, Rabbit Redux, Rabbit Is Rich, Picked Up Pieces, Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu.